ce
ready to strike, and so remained all night, with pickets thrown far out
listening with ears attent for the soft pad of moccasined feet.

CHAPTER XX

THE LAST PATROL

It was still early morning when Cameron rode into the barrack-yard at
Fort Calgary. To the Sergeant in charge, the Superintendent of Police
having departed to Macleod, he reported the events of the preceding
night.

"What about that rumor, Sergeant?" he inquired after he had told his
tale.

"Well, I had the details yesterday," replied the Sergeant. "Colonel
Otter and a column of some three hundred men with three guns went out
after Pound-maker. The Indians were apparently strongly posted and could
not be dislodged, and I guess our men were glad to get out of the scrape
as easily as they did."

"Great Heavens!" cried Cameron, more to himself than to the officer,
"what will this mean to us here?"

The Sergeant shrugged his shoulders.

"The Lord only knows!" he said.

"Well, my business presses all the more," said Cameron. "I'm going after
this Sioux. Jerry is already on his trail. I suppose you cannot let
me have three or four men? There is liable to be trouble and we cannot
afford to make a mess of this thing."

"Jerry came in last night asking for a man," replied the Sergeant, "but
I could not spare one. However, we will do our best and send you on the
very first men that come in."

"Send on half a dozen to-morrow at the very latest," replied Cameron. "I
shall rely upon you. Let me give you my trail."

He left a plan of the Ghost River Trail with the Sergeant and rode to
look up Dr. Martin. He found the doctor still in bed and wrathful at
being disturbed.

"I say, Cameron," he growled, "what in thunder do you mean by roaming
round this way at night and waking up Christian people out of their
sleep?"

"Sorry, old boy," replied Cameron, "but my business is rather
important."

And then while the doctor sat and shivered in his night clothes upon the
side of the bed Cameron gave him in detail the history of the previous
evening and outlined his plan for the capture of the Sioux.

Dr. Martin listened intently, noting the various points and sketching an
outline of the trail as Cameron described it.

"I wanted you to know, Martin, in case anything happened. For, well, you
know how it is with my wife just now. A shock might kill her."

The doctor growled an indistinct reply.

"That is all, old chap. Good-by," said Cameron, pressin